St George's University Hospital paramedic raped woman after pretending to be gay

A paramedic pretended to be gay to gain the trust of a female friend who he went on to rape.

Predatory Christopher Bridger, 25, was found guilty of rape at Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday, July 30. He was found not guilty of an offence of assault by penetration.

The court heard how in September 2008, while Bridger was learning to be a paramedic at St George’s University Hospital, Tooting, he befriended his first victim, also studying there.

The woman had been on a night out with friends when she became upset and decided to leave early. Bridger along with another male friend returned back to the halls of residence with the victim.

The three went to Bridger’s room and the other man went back to his own room – leaving Bridger alone with the woman.

She lay on the bed and Bridger, from Hertfordshire, put a film on for her to watch. He started cuddling her and she was not concerned as he had told her, when they first met, that he was gay.

He started kissing her on the cheek, took her clothes off and raped her. She was so traumatised by the experience she felt unable to report it when it happened.

Then, in August 2013, a Metropolitan Police investigation was instigated by officers from the Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command.

In total, Bridger was found guilty of five sexual assaults on three female victims across Surrey and London following a 13-day trial.

He was found guilty of offences investigated by Surrey Police which included sexually assaulting two of his co-workers in 2011 and 2012 while he was working with the South East Coast Ambulance NHS Service.

Detective Constable Claire Hastings, of the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “Bridger is a predator and a confidence trickster who abused the trust these women had in him. He purported to be their friend and deceitfully set out to gain their trust by lulling them into a false sense of security by claiming to be gay. Bridger took advantage of these women when they were at their most vulnerable.

“I hope the conviction today will give anyone who may have been a victim of a sexual assault the confidence to contact us or one of the many organisations that assist victims to ensure that they are provided with the support that they require.

“This has been a complex case involving both the Met and our counterparts at Surrey Police and I would like to thank them for assisting us with our investigation. By the joining of our cases for trial it has strengthened the voices of all the victims ensuring that the most powerful evidence is put before the jury.”

Bridger was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on September 5, 2014.